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Gin and Topics: Mourning, Whining, and Rolling
What a crazy week! First there is an earthquake on the East Coast (I know it’s not a big deal to you West Coasters, but those buildings can’t withstand that kind of shaking).
Then Steve Jobs resigned (which makes me really sad because I think we’ll soon hear of his death).
What’s going to be the third big piece of news this week? I hope it’s not Hurricane Irene as she moves up the east coast.
So I have a secret. The new Spin Sucks Pro site is being delivered today. It’s just the design and content management system, which means we still have to do our part of uploading content. But I think we’ll be able to release it out of private beta by the third week of September. I hope I didn’t jinx it, but the real thing is right around the corner! I know I speak for my entire team when I say, “I CANNOT WAIT!”
More to come, but that was brewing inside and I just had to tell you. For now, here is this week’s Gin and Topics.
5. Unsavory Culinary Elitism. I have a few friends who like to get my blood boiling (cough, Rusty Speidel, Sean McGinnis, cough). They’ll send me links just to watch my reaction. And, even know they’re pushing my buttons, I ALWAYS react. I’ll never learn. Kind of like the fact that I’ll never learn that saying, “I’m executive platinum and travel through O’Hare at least twice a week” never works with TSA. And this article Rusty sent me got my blood boiling. There is not one culinary experience for every, single person. Plus, I love Paula Deen. Jerks.
4. Brown Links to CrazyKhazei Twitter Account. It’s already begun…and the election is still 14 months away. It’s another Chrysler F bomb story, but in the Massachusetts Senate race. A top aide for Scott Brown apparently is behind the CrazyKhazei account. He was found out because he accidentally tweeted from his personal account. Sound familiar?
3. At Funeral, Dog Mourns. I saw this on Facebook the other night. I was in a hotel room, watching the Ray Kroc story on CNBC, and flipping through my stream. If this doesn’t make your heart hurt, you clearly don’t have one.
2. Peyton Manning As a Kid. In honor of the new NFL season, let’s watch Peyton Manning whine as a three year old. I guess some things never change. DA BEARS!
1. Rick Rolling. This is just freaking cool!
Have a great weekend. And to my East Coast friends…be safe!
I disagree about the "food elitism". Andrew Zimmern had a great response to the article that I think takes the moderate middle ground position as far as "elitist" cooking, but still points out the massive problem of poor quality food and terrible production methods with food in America. I think the biggest problem I have with Paula Deen and Smithfield foods is that Americans have no idea where their food is coming from, what conditions it's produced under and just how BAD it actually is. Factory farming with a happy go-lucky, populist face is still genetically modified, unnatural diet, confined cruel conditions and antibiotic abusing farming. I am not saying this out of some bleeding heart, love the cow's liberal elitist way. I am scared of Mad Cow disease. I am scared of Hoof and Mouth disease. I am scared of huge lagoons of animal waste breeding antibiotic resistant bacteria. My desire to know where my meat comes from and that it is sustainably produced comes entirely from self-preservation. Paula Deen is just one more way of blinding Americans about the food they eat.
EBArchDesign I agree that we should all educate ourselves on where our food comes from and be smart about what we put in our mouths. But I think it's ridiculous for someone who serves Choucroute Garnie or seafood in champagne cream sauce can talk about another chef poisoning Americans on how they eat. I love her recipes. I also love five star restaurant cuisine. But I'm very, very smart about when I eat that kind of food and I exercise every day. I don't blame Charlie Trotter or Rick Bayless for any cellulite I have - that's my own fault.
Bourdain has never struck me as an elitist in regards to cooking. Of course, I've never met him. Just watching him on No Reservations though, he seems happiest getting a home cooked meal at a local's home in Mumbai or diving into cheap pho at a roadside cafe in Vietnam. He's being outrageous of course when he attacks celebrity "chefs," but I think his issues with Paula Deen have less to do with her actual recipes and more to do with what she represents: big corporate America trying to sell itself to the public as down home "I'm just one of you" populism. He thinks it's phony and I agree.
Yes, ultimately, we are all responsible for our decisions regarding our health. I know I have weight I need to lose and have struggled with eating disorders in my past. I certainly don't blame Paul Kahan for having fabulous restaurants or Argyle St. for serving gigantic bowls of pho. I understand my weight issues are my creation and must be solved by me.
But in this argument between celebrity "chefs," I am much more sympathetic to Bourdain than I am Paula and that may just be a reflection of my own cultural and political leanings. I'm uncomfortable with Stepford wife-ian visions of America and more at home with the idea of skipping all over world to chance food poisoning in the mountains of Chile. Paula is just not my cup of tea and never will be.
Wow. You should not let that Rusty guy fire you up like that. :-)
Marijean Right? He knows which buttons to push and the government telling us what we can and cannot eat is one of them.
ginidietrich While I agree with the writer that Paula Deen's attempt to position herself as 'one of the little people' is weak, her response is great. We're should not be concerned with those of precious palate; the problem with our collective diet is in the lack of inexpensive and easily available to the poor and middle class. Paula (and others) are focused on that audience, not the Anthony Bourdain followers; two vastly different populations. Plus? Butter is delicious.
And I loved this: “Not everybody can afford to pay $58 for prime rib or $650 for a bottle of wine.”
#3 is my ABSOLUTE favorite! I don't even have a dog (ok... kind of, Floyd :) and that got me all choked up and teary. LOVE!!!
CristerDelaCruz I'm with you Crister on #3. My wife showed that to me the other night and I just say there - tears rolling down my face.
Thanks for the smile to end the week!
DebraCaplick I thought my Manning comment was hilarious yet no one has said anything.
ginidietrich Two words for you:
GO EAGLES!
:-)
FrankDickinsonginidietrich I now have greater respect for Frank. An Eagles fan. WOOHOO!
KenMuellerginidietrich I lived in Philly area for 3 years - totla conversion to an Eagles fanatic!
FrankDickinsonginidietrich awesome. i was born and raised there. left the area, but now live close by in Lancaster. What area were you in?
KenMuellerginidietrich Just around the corner (as the crow flies) in Reading. My wife grew up there. I miss all the great PA Dutch food. Ever been to Shartlesville - Haiges restaurant I think it is?
FrankDickinsonginidietrich never been there. Love the Reading Phillies (and the real Phillies). I grew up in Montgomery County. And now I'm not far from Reading at all. Lots of friends up that way. In fact, Gini was there recently and did NOT find the time to connect with me. VERY RUDE.
KenMuellerginidietrich Really miss the Reading Phillies - many great night outs spent there with a hotdog and a beer.
ginidietrich I thought you were supposed to be riding 200 miles this weekend - what you comment from your bike now?
We eat 5.8 earthquakes for breakfast. P.S. The TSA have no sense of humor. When they are frisking you they don't appreciate you saying things like "it is a little to the right" or "my culture demands that this sort of intimacy end in marriage."
I watched the dog video. I cried. If you can't cry, or tear up watching that, you probably are not human. I really liked that piece about Bourdain and Deen. I also love watching Paula. I watched her enough times that my first attempt at fried chicken came out awesome!
Peyton is not as good as his cooler, younger brother Eli - just saying. :)
A Rick Roll? Really? You need help. I am really worried about you.
ginidietrich I am always nice to you my dear. You have me confused with that dannybrown fellow. He is not nice to you. I am a sweetheart.
ginidietrich cake?
KenMuellerginidietrich go see the Follow Friday post for cake. I can't believe you are so late to the party
You are right. I CANNOT WAIT EITHER.
1. I will not watch the dog video. I saw the post on FB as well and cried without even clicking play. the. end. It breaks my heart.
2. I love Bourdain but I've seen him scarfing back some sinfully heart stopping foods on h? So I agree. live and let live. Like Craig McBreen , I LOVE his show - has anyone seen the one in Beirut? That and Mad Men are the only two shows I watch.
Kitchen Confidential was excellent and it reminds me of a cool little thing; just about 10 years ago (about a month or two shy in fact), I lent it to a new friend of mine to read, and he eventually became my husband. :) awwww.
Lisa Gerber And Bourdain's favorite series is The Wire. That and Mad Men are on my top-five list. Yes, the Beirut show was one of his very best. Now Tony, just stop being so mean to nice southern ladies :)
You and your husband have good taste ;)
Lisa GerberCraig McBreen awwwwww...I love that...
I love reading the Chowhound boards, and the Bourdain vs. Deen circus is lighting the place up.
Anthony Bourdain can be a bit too snarky at times, but he is also very honest; about his past, and how he feels about his fellow food celebrities. He certainly doesn't hold back when displaying his distain for the Food Network in general, but I do think his scorn does go a bit too far at times.
I honestly didn't like his repeated attacks on Emeril. I'm not a huge fan of Mr. Lagasse's shows and the 'bam' thing, but he is a true philanthropist, and Tony went way too far with him. In the No Reservations New Orleans show, It looked like Emeril wanted to pummel him :) Maybe going after the FN execs would have been a better strategy. I say leave poor Paula Deen alone.
With all that being said, I think No Reservations is one of the best shows on TV and I've read most of Tony's books, Kitchen Confidential being his best. His show is emmy-caliber, especially the recent shows in Haiti and Cambodia. Great stuff. Any Tony is very funny AND very caustic. I wonder who is next on his hit list, Gordon Ramsay? :)
Craig McBreen I also loved Kitchen Confidential. But what is wrong with our world? It happens in politics, in social media, in cooking...why can't we all just get along?
ginidietrich It sells. Hopefully this here blogosphere will remain somewhat civil. Tony should stick to what he does best: Being creative and highlighting food and cultures most of us won't ever get to experience. Stop picking on easy targets.
And politics, ... argg!
I gotta say, the wimpy, whiny, platitudinous response from Khamei's chief of staff was far more disappointing to me than the offending tweets. Lighten up, geez!
rustyspeidel I think it's pretty funny that Brown's aide got caught because he posted from his personal account. It's so easy to do, but jeez, man.
I saw the video of the soliders funeral and that poor, heartbroken dog! You are right if it doesnt break your heart, you don't have one!
sydcon_mktg I'm pretty sure that's what Jack Bauer would do if I died. He's such a momma's boy.
ginidietrich Oh yeah, I am sure he would too...my Zamboni too...he has a fit if I go out in front without him!
Thanks for the aperitif to the week. I loved the dog story as you can imagine. Can't wait for the hurricane. The wife will be singing during it and told her she MUST cover the Scorpions
So, did I just get rickrolled by Gini Dietrich? I guess there are worse things in life. I'll let you know how the hurricane is.
5.) Anthony Bourdain is a little harsh for my "taste" but, hotwater911 loves him so....
4.) Don't people ever learn? ever?
3.) I'm starting to think you "include things that will make Claudia cry" in your G&T criteria...
2.) Hah! Peyton is a cry baby...Peyton is a cry baby ...na na na na na na...
1.) AWESOME!!!!
deleted_91832_Sean McGinnishotwater911ginidietrich Hahahaha...oh but, it was SOOO much fun...you have to admit that!! iPud and all...
Conversation from Twitter
ginidietrich Notable. Man behind CrazyKhazei #PR ethics flap is a former bostonherald bureau chief. Jesus Christmas.
borderlinephil Isn't that crazy?!?
ginidietrich +1. It's said only 7% of us have excep. common sense. The #PR guy behind CrazyKhazei is clearly in the majority.
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